Love Me Do-odle! John Lennon's Drawings To Be Auctioned Off
The largest collection of doodles will be sold on June 4.
April, 22, 2014 -- The largest private collection of John Lennon’s drawings and sketches will be auctioned off on June 4 by Sotheby’s in New York.
The collection -- entitled “You Might Well Arsk” -- is comprised of Lennon’s original drawings and manuscripts from his books "In His Own Write" (1964) and "A Spaniard in the Works" (1965).
The auction also includes 89 lots that will range from $500 to $70,000.
In a previous BBC radio interview, Lennon described his artwork, saying, "They are spontaneous, and I hardly ever alter anything because I’m selfish."
One of the pieces that will be featured in the auction is an untitled ink drawing of a boy with six birds that was used as the cover for the Beatles’ song "Free as a Bird." The song was written by Lennon in 1977 and later re-released with contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr 25 years after the band’s break up and 15 years after Lennon’s death. It is estimated to be worth $12,000-$15,000.
One of the more expensive pieces in the collection is "The Singularge Experience of Miss Anne Duffield," a nine page manuscript in Lennon’s own handwriting, parodying Sherlock Holmes. This piece is valued at a price range of $50,000-$70,000.
Lennon initially gifted this collection to Tom Maschler, a British publisher and writer who helped produce Lennon’s two books.
Maschler said: "John was an exceptional friend and a most unusual human being. He had the most original sense of humor and he could also be extremely funny."
Sotheby’s had held previous auctions featuring Beatles-related goods, but never whole collections.
